Looking for the perfect word to describe that coal-black, spindly, slowly creeping spider? Luckily there are many ways to express the particular subtleties of horror that you’re feeling. Try these words on for size…

Photo via Wikipedia

Scary

Adj. [skair-ee] Origin: 1575-85
1. Causing fright or alarm.
Via Random House Dictionary

For expressing a thing’s fear-inducing power at the most basic level: That is one scary spider. 

Chilling

Adj. [chil-ing]
Origin: Before 900 A.D.
1. Causing a feeling of sudden fear, anxiety, or alarm.
2. Casting a depressing influence or sensation.
3. Possessing a lack of warmth of feeling, unfriendliness or coldness.

An unsettling flavor of scary: Despite the smirk that hung on his lips, the killer’s chilling stare was entirely devoid of empathy. 

Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, a claimed ghost photograph by Captain Hubert C. Provand. First published in Country Life magazine, 1936. Via Wikipedia.

Horrifying

Adj. [hawr-uh-fahy-ing]
Origin: 1785-95
1. Causing great distress, shock or dismay.
2. Awful, terrifying, dreadful.

A bit more dramatic than simply scary: Laura paled as the horrifying realization that she’d been exposed to the flesh-eating bacteria settled in. 

Creepy

Adj. [kree-pee]
Origin: 1825-35
1. Having or causing a creeping sensation of the skin, as from horror or fear.
2. Having or causing a sensation of repulsion, horror, or fear, as of creatures crawling on the skin.

More likely to make you shudder than scream: The creepy sensation of being followed made the hair on the back of Ben’s neck stand on end.

Spooky

Adj. [spoo-kee]
Origin: 1850-55
1. Like or befitting a spook or ghost.
2. Eerie, scary.

Scary with a paranormal twist: More than once, I caught a flash of movement in my peripheral vision while exploring the spooky, abandoned house.

Bloodcurdling

Adj. [bluhd-kurd-ling]
Origin: 1930-35
1. Arousing terror; horrifying.

Often refers to a sudden action: Her eyes widened in fear as the bloodcurdling scream was suddenly silenced.